Summer tourism in Russia 2026: slowdown of domestic trips, rise of outbound and new formats

How domestic tourism is changing in Russia

The summer of 2026 turned out to be a reshuffling period for home‑grown travel. According to the online platform Ostrovok, the pace of trips inside the country slowed, while interest in outbound destinations grew noticeably. The average price for a night in Russian hotels stayed at last year’s level – about 6 300 rubles – and the overall spend per trip rose roughly four percent, helped by a slight increase in stay length (from 2.6 to 2.7 nights).

Where are Russians flying?

Three megacities – Moscow, Saint Peterburg and the Krasnodar Region – accounted for roughly a third of all summer‑holiday queries. For the first time, the Primorsky Krai appeared in the list of the fifteen most popular regions, signalling a growing curiosity about the Far East. Traditional southern resorts still lead, but a share of travellers is hunting alternative spots.

Fuel crunch and route shifts

Mid‑summer saw fuel prices climb, and many travellers started ditching pricey seaside resorts in favour of cheaper options. As a result, the popularity of excursion centres, small towns and the “Golden Ring” regions jumped noticeably. Active tourism also got a boost: the Altai, Kamchatka and Karelia landed on wish‑lists.

New beaches on the Kuban coast

One bright driver of demand was the recently opened beaches on the Kuban. Bookings in Vitiazovo doubled and a half, in Anapa rose by a third, and in Divnomorsky grew fifteen percent. It showed that even modest infrastructure upgrades can pull in a sizable crowd.

Crimea: stability with small shifts

Crimea held its place in the top‑20, yet about twenty percent of its reservations were pushed to later dates. The main alternatives became the Krasnodar Region, Abkhazia, and the big cities – Saint Peterburg and Moscow – where tourists head for short trips.

Intra‑regional and weekend getaways

One out of every eight bookings this season was for travel within the traveller’s own region. Trips that started on a Friday or Saturday and wrapped up on Sunday made up to twenty percent of all orders. That underlines the rise of short “weekend” tours.

Events as demand drivers

Major events also steered the flow of tourists. In Kazan, where VK Fest and the RDS OPEN drift series took place, bookings in a single week jumped fifty‑five percent. In Saint Peterburg, the “Scarlet Sails” festival days saw a ten‑percent rise.

Apartments over hotels

The most noticeable shift in demand structure was the surge in apartment bookings. Their share of total orders climbed from twenty‑three to thirty percent, while the average nightly price fell about four percent, to 5 500 rubles. The platform expanded its apartment inventory by more than half over the year, easing the shortage of traditional hotel rooms.

Abroad: where are Russians heading?

Demand for overseas trips grew thirteen percent. Montenegro attracted the strongest interest: after visa‑requirements were announced in November, search queries for the country rose one‑and‑a‑half times, and August bookings jumped eighty percent compared with the previous year. Vietnam also strengthened its position, pulling part of the flow away from Thailand – bookings rose roughly fifty‑eight percent.

What to factor in when planning a summer holiday?

• Housing format: if you want flexibility and lower prices than a hotel, look at apartments – the supply is now the widest it’s ever been.
• Regional focus: classic southern resorts remain popular, but this year it pays to consider the Golden Ring, Altai or Kamchatka, especially for active holidays.
• Event tourism: check the calendar for big festivals and sport events – they can push demand and prices up, but also add memorable moments.
• Fuel factor: when you map out a route, keep an eye on current fuel prices; sometimes a more distant, less crowded spot ends up cheaper.
• Outbound demand: if you’re eyeing a foreign trip, Montenegro and Vietnam are currently “hot” zones, but stay on top of visa rules and seasonal swings.

Summer 2026 showed Russian travellers are becoming more adaptable: they switch formats, scout new places at home and simultaneously explore fresh overseas options. This balance between domestic and foreign tourism promises interesting possibilities for planning future getaways.

Based on materials from: trn-news.ru.